Hello Augie people!
It has been a hot minute since I last blogged! Basically over a year if we’re being technical…. There is no excuse for that! I promise I will take better care of doing so this coming school year-which I will be beginning my junior year! Yikes! I guess time does fly when you’re having fun! As to keep in tradition, I will give a brief life update and then begin with my blog topic, which I promise is something you’ll want to read!

Life update: I finished my second year at Augie, which was a bit rough but I made it through. I decided not to play lacrosse this year, however, I still am with the team just not playing. As well, I have gone through another pledging season and it was so different being on this side than being a pledge! I fell in love with my sorority even more. The lacrosse team had another wonderful season, including becoming the first ever CCIW conference champions and going to the sweet 16 (for the second year in a row as a four year program!). Other than all of that, I think you have been caught up with my life!

So feminism…we’ve all heard about it, and some people have even taken a very, very opinionated position on it. Great! And for the most part I agree, the country and the world needs feminism. Maybe not in the extreme sense that so many people gravitate to when they think of feminism but more of the equality aspect. Yes, I have the capability to understand that if I as a woman am granted the same opportunities that a man has in the workplace than I am giving up some opportunities that may have only been applicable to me. And I am okay with that because I work just as hard, just as long and just as well as a man that I deserve to earn the same as he does- in case you were wondering, in 2013, for every 100% a white man earned, a white woman earned 77.4% (http://www.infoplease.com/us/census/median-earnings-by-race.html).

Okay, let me step off my soap box real quick. Yes the wage gap is frustrating, but you know what that is not going to change anytime soon. Fine. I can live with that. What I can’t live with is the fact that I don’t feel safe being downtown at night when it is only me and another one of my girlfriends. Why on earth should I feel so insecure suddenly about my safety that we have to stand facing each other, watching the others back, under the streetlight, making sure to whisper when we want to talk as to not draw attention to ourselves, and I have to hold my finger of the trigger for my pepper spray so that (God forbid) someone approaches us and doesn’t just want to know if we can help pay for their train ticket? You might be thinking I’m exaggerating this, but I wish I was. My best friend and I had gone to a Rockies game where we had a ton of fun and bought an eight dollar hot dog and cheered the Rockies to a win over the Diamondbacks. Overall, we had a great time and didn’t start to feel any weird feelings until we saw some friends who had been drinking, one of which just became a little to touchy. We managed to rid ourselves of that feeling once we were back on our way to the train to go back home, we were trailing behind the crowd but still felt safe enough. On our way, one of our other friends called and we decided to go to the bar he was at. We decided we would all hang out, which was going well until someone said something that was meant to be funny but really wasn’t and my friend and I left. Although the boys we were with followed us for a few blocks decided to ultimately leave us.. Which is fine except we were in downtown alone and waiting for the train in a not very well lit street. We immediately went into survival mode, we became extra observant of what was going on and who was around us.
So why does this really matter? Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe I read so far into a situation that I need to complain and blog about it. What I do know is, I need feminism because I felt safer having mace in my hand than just being around people in the lights. I need feminism because I am an equal and I knew that if I needed to I would yell fire because that would garner more attention than just yelling help. I need feminism because there are still guys that think I am overreacting, and maybe I am, but thats only because I was taught to be wary of the guys that are standing around me and to be cautious of who I look at because “you just never know”.

So maybe I don’t need feminism and I should just take self defense classes to make me feel more comfortable at night. Or maybe feminism is actually a good thing and everyone is an equal and we should probably start paying more attention to it.

I don’t even know how to start. So here’s a quick run down about Sloughfest.

What is Sloughfest?

Sloughfest is a (hopefully) annual music festival held at Augustana that provided the Rock Island community with an afternoon of student peformances, a DJ battle, food, games, socialization and just genuine fun. The event was sponsored by various campus organizations and clubs. It was organized by Marvin Agyeben (SloughFest Director), Justin Bishop (Administrative Director), and LaSalle Smith (Promotion Director).

For more information visit their website: http://sloughfest.wix.com/2015

When did it happen?

Saturday, May 2nd from 4:00 p.m. until 10:30 (ish) p.m.

Where did it happen?

Lindberg Stadium

How?

Because last year, a very dedicated group of people decided to collaborate and brainstorm ideas for a music festival at Augustana… very casually while chillin’ in the dorms…

Why?

Why not?

We like music.

We like festivals…

So, I don’t really have anything else to say…. watch the video below (and scroll through some pictures) for a pretty thorough Sloughfest experience and….stay classy?

Some of you may have caught news of the race riots that have devastated not only Ferguson, but now the new race riot that is occurring right now in Baltimore. Though the riots first had a more peaceful way of protest, they have escalated into full pandemonium with looters tearing up shops and even gangs teaming up to go on witch hunts for cops.

It struck me while reading the news of a quote from one of the stories that said that they never imagined the race riots occurring in Baltimore.

After pondering that quote, I realized that that thought is truly terrifying.

I imagined Chicago where few people would think of such a thing happening and where one misstep, one wrong move could bring the winds of destruction to the Windy City. One cop, one person making a decision could forever change Chicago.

What I want people to take away from this is to realize that these event have pertinence to us, even if they may be in places that we have never been before. Events such as those in Baltimore and Ferguson are closer to home than most people want to think.

Just a little food for thought. Keep the good citizens of Baltimore in your prayers.

We are filming a ton of projects right now and one fun project happens to be called AUGIE HISTORY (working title)

We need extras for a fun scene that won’t take more than an hour to shoot and will be lots of fun to watch when its done.

We are calling for all Greek life members, athletes, girls, and guys to get together on the lower quad and have a giant battle.

Think Braveheart/Lord of the Rings/etc.

Feel free to wear your letters, dress as cowboys, wear paint, anything fun. Get a group together and wear something cool. Bring pillows to fight with, paddles, etc. We won’t actually be hitting each other so you can be creative. We heard through the grapevine that there will be a blender fight.

We will be meeting at

*3:30 on the Lower Quad to give a rundown and filming will start at 4 PM. If nobody shows up, we’ll CGI it with the limited budget we have. Basically, it would look like cardboard cutouts so were kind of begging you.*

Recently, while at dinner with a group of friends, someone mentioned how they were surprised by the new slang that kids are usin’ nowadays. We all harrumphed and chortled at the notion of these youngins and their semantics antics. Why were we laughing? Well, that’s yet to be determined, because from what I remember (which isn’t much due to the senility of old age ) we had some slang back in our heyday that definitely made our parents and grandparents think we were non compos mentis.

So today, let’s all hop aboard Thomas the Train at Reading Railroad station (boarding at Platform 9 3/4) on our way to Dragon Land as we travel safely through that horrendous no man’s land colloquially known as “Urban Dictionary”. At the end of our journey you’ll have an enriched vocabulary and maybe you’ll be “hip” and “with it”… but then again, maybe not.

What we ( people 9 months-99 years old) would have said: Beast, Beast Mode, H.A.M., Cool

What our parents ( people who don’t age) would have said: Insane in the membrane, Postal, Nuts, Wacko, Crazy, Bad***, Cool

Actual definition of savage via the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Best Example of “Savage”

What we would have said: on point, on deck, gorgeous, beautiful, hot, cute

* No, contrary to popular belief it doesn’t mean poop in Danish. I personally believe that cynical “bae”-less people are the ones who started the rumor. Words are fun, okay people? Don’t try to constrain people’s freedom of speech. Hippopotamus. Omicron. Zygote. Falafel. Bubble. Confectionery. Scuttle.

Best Example of “Bae”

What we would say: friends, besties, crew, group, people, best friends, random people I met at Starbucks

What our parents would say: friends, acquaintances, posse, gang, random people I met at the grocery store

Actual definition of squad via the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

Best Example(s) of “Squad”

What we would have said: crunk, turn up, wasted, faded, crazy

What our parents would have said: crazy, wild, having fun, “boys being boys”, “girls just wanna have fun”, “girls gone wild”, insane, mad

Actual definition of turnt via the Merriam Webster Dictionary:

Good examples of “Turnt”

And that’s all I have for you folks… so, um yeah, now I’m off to do actual homework…

Alex is a kind hearted soul who spent the time to fill out every single question. I don’t often concede to someone being better at the internet than me, but Alex has proven time and time again he does it quite a bit better. I will let him do the talking on this one. However, it is best advised to read with this playing.

Get to know him.

GM: What brought you to Augustana?

AA: My father and my coaches both influenced me on my decisions to choose Augustana. My overnight was a blast as well due to Carl “Peter peter pumpkin eater” Hartwig and Erik “grimelord” Westerburg.

Pictured:Erik and Carl in official Augustana Viking football warmups

What advice do you have for incoming Freshmen?

Live it up while focusing on improving yourself as an individual

What are you involved in on campus?

I played football for three years then that stopped due to knee injuries. Currently I am involved with finishing my double major of Accounting/Finance and working at a local CPA firm.

What are some hidden talents you have?

To confuse people. I’m talking like orb of confusion from SpongeBob DEEEUUURrrrrrr.

What is your spirit animal?

A Grizzly Bear due to its temperament and power. Insert the picture I send you on the blog right after this answer while leaving this text in the answer. K

Who is your favorite mountain man from the early frontier days of the United States?

Nothing will ever top the adventure Macho Man Randy Savage and Rick Flair took across the rings of America.

What is your greatest fear and why?

The fact that any moment a solar flare could wipe out human existence instantly.

That’s a given.

Duck, Duck, Goose?

Only if you take me on a nice date first.

Do you have a nickname and why?

Yes I do. At Augustana I’m just Alex or Anderson, but back in Geneseo I am Manderson. This nickname was given to me my freshman year of high school when I accidently typed an M before the Anderson part of my last name when I was logging in. My friend thought it was hilarious and the name stuck ever since.

What is your favorite book and why?

Any fantasy novel written by R.A. Salvatore. His literature just takes you to another place

What is your favorite movie and why?

This is an ever changing thing for me, but right now it’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Who has the best mustache, Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds, Ron Swanson, Teddy Roosevelt, or Salvador Dali?

Ron Swanson. All other choices should be changed to Ron Swanson.

Lebron James comes to your house to sell you a poster of you getting dunked on by him, how much is it worth?

Poster of Lebron James dunkin on me: 35$. Poster of Gary Miller dunkin on me in a banana costume: priceless

Who do you fear is really a robot on campus?

Join us Gary.

What do you think the biggest difference is between you now and who you were when you first came to Augustana?

More responsibility that led to more maturity.

Alice Cooper once said, “school’s out for summer, school’s out forever” do you think he should be running an elementary school in Texas? I don’t think he is but I definitely endorse it.

If Alice Cooper needs more money to bring a smile to his face that looks like a painting that got rained on. I don’t see why not.

I still remember the day I got my original PlayStation the hype was real.

Who do you think is the finest illegal street racer at Augustana?

Me + Nissan GTR R35 answers this question.

What is Greek life like?

The country, not the fraternities and sororities here.

Explain their economic system to me as if I was a four year old.

The country is beautiful and the people are laid back. There current economy is one of the worst in the EU due to the recession of the Euro as a currency. Look at me I went to college and know things blah blah blah. This would all be said to a four year old.

I’ve been coloring lately, what coloring books should I be picking up?

I’ve been doing theater since eighth grade. I spent most of my high school years hidden away in our auditorium rehearsing, building sets, stage managing, assisting the directors or some combination of the two. In the winter, I used to go weeks without seeing the sun–reaching school before the sun rose and leaving after it had set.

In college, I decided to take a bit of a break.

And then last term happened.

I was in ETU’s Winter Mashup with Heywire (Augustana’s only improv group). I was cast in Katrina: The K-Word, an entirely student-driven production led by the members of the Play Production class. I performed in Alpha Psi’s annual production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues. And I was part of a group of six wonderful women who performed Any One of Us, a piece born from Ensler’s creative writing workshops with women in prisons, at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, amid the work of photographer Richard Ross.

Why, you might ask, did I decide to do four performances in five weeks when I was already working on two Senior Inquiries? Honestly, it just sort of happened. The common denominator between all these performances is social justice. Katrina taught me a lot about what came before and after Hurricane Katrina. We often forget that, long after the cameras have left, people still have to rebuild their lives. The Vagina Monologues, as always, made me think about women’s empowerment. And Any One of Us is a searingly honest piece about what it’s like to be an incarcerated woman and, especially important, what leads to becoming one. ETU always has a few social justice-themed pieces among the mix. I’m very happy that the Augustana community is starting to feel strongly about what’s happening in the nation and the world (the protest in support of Ferguson, the installation in the library about the kidnapped Mexican students and more). I wanted to be a part of that.

But okay, my reasons for having to meet any invitation to hang out with “I have rehearsal,” for sleepless nights and homework begun after 10, for walking across campus in the freezing cold twice every evening instead of staying in my warm house, weren’t entirely noble. I also realized last term that theater of this quality may not be in my life for much longer. Sure, there are community theaters and all kinds of ways to stay involved after I graduate. But being able to work and perform with people who have Masters degrees and PhDs in this stuff, and people who are working their way towards Masters and PhDs, is something I’m incredibly grateful for.

I’m in ETU again and am fortunate enough to have been cast in the spring production of As You Like It. And I’m thinking about pursuing a career in dramaturgy after grad school. All this happened in the last few weeks. And I couldn’t be happier.

Wow. This one word summarizes the whole weekend being an Augustana student.

First off, the Augustana Men’s Track Team 4×4 WON at the Indoor Track National Meet with a time of 3:15, just barely winning by :02 seconds. I believe they set a new record for our school as well!

In addition to that FANTASTIC 4×4, Keith Cline finished in sixth place at the National Meet.

So a great weekend for the Men’s Track Team.

But it doesn’t stop there.

The Men’s Basketball team played at home on Friday against The University of Mount Union and won by about 10 points. Then on Saturday, the Augie Men’s Team played and WON a dominating game over Marietta College 100-52 (if I remember correctly.)

The support for the team was awesome and amazing to be a part of. I thoroughly enjoyed standing in the crowd for both games, joining in the antagonizing chants, the cheers, and the celebrations with the victories.

This weekend showed how fantastic and stupendous our school is and makes me feel so honored to be a part of such a great community.

Before I begin, be on the lookout for casting calls and notices on behalf of SAGA and BSP weekly on this blog. We are looking to do some cool stuff with those groups this term and I would hate for people to miss out because they didn’t know about it.

An example of such a fine opportunity is with Jimmy as he has written a script and it is a fun one. Contact him at jamespanozzo12@augustana.edu or bspaugustana@gmail.com for opportunities in cast, crew, and fun.

The Spring term at Augustana is about to start and its about time to get to know some fantastic folks here at Augustana. Jimmy Panozzo is a character, a goof ball and a darn good wrestler. He’s a good friend of mine and a huge fan of movies.

Jim has a tradition of watching movies for “Movie Madness Monday”. He’s always down to watch movies with people and help his pals out.

Here’s to Jim, get to know him better.

GM: What brought you to Augustana?

JP: wrestling and MIKE T

What advice do you have for incoming Freshmen?

avoid cops and have fun (Like Bob Mazooka and Officer Dick Virginia)

What are you involved in on campus?

wrestling, phi omega phi, and black squirrel productions

What are some hidden talents you have?

Reading with my eyes closed, painting with my feet, and being friends with GARY MILLER

What is your spirit animal?

red ant

Who is your favorite mountain man from the early frontier days of the United States?

Grizzly Adams

What is your greatest fear and why?

being afraid because it shows weakness

Duck, Duck, Goose?

Goose, Goose, Geese

What is your favorite book and why?

I dont read (or can’t)

What is your favorite movie and why?

Bob Mazooka

Who has the best mustache, Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds, Ron Swanson, Teddy Roosevelt, or Salvador Dali?

Bob Mazooka

Who do you fear is really a robot on campus?

Who do i fear isnt a robot on campus

What do you think the biggest difference is between you now and who you were when you first came to Augustana?

Puberty happened

Alice Cooper once said, “school’s out for summer, school’s out forever” do you think he should be running an elementary school in Texas? I don’t think he is but I definitely endorse it.

Alice Cooper is a liar and I hated him ever since I had to go back to school.

Would you like to give me a dollar?

L O L

What’s the scariest thing about children who live amongst the corn and who do you think walks behind the rows?

They have boots and ghosts

Would you join the Rebel Alliance or the Empire?

the Empire

What is your favorite food?

Chicken sandwich

Who is most likely to eat all the food in the house between you and your roommates?

Frank Hollo

What famous ruler from history would you most likely make a disparaging remark about on twitter?

JFK (Jimmy Frederick Kline, noted inventor of the toaster strudel)

Who is your favorite artist and why?

Picasso and have you seen his work

Favorite holiday and why?

Halloween because i get to hide this mug

Favorite sports team and why?

Da Bears because they are ferocious

Favorite type of Oreos

Original

Who shot the deputy?

I am the Deputy

John Mayer or John Denver?

Im waiting on the world to change

Who is your celebrity crush?

John Mayer

Where is somewhere you have always wanted to go but haven’t yet?

Australia

Have you studied abroad and if not where?

I want to go to Nicaragua

IF you were trapped in the wilds of Alaska with one person to survive the winter who would it be and what item would you bring?